220 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



ciently indicated in the following brief summary of the doings 

 of each pair : 



No. I Pair. — Had five nests, the Cuckoo selecting the last four for 

 her 2nd, 6th, 12th and i8th eggs. 



N.O. 2 Pair. — Had only two nests, the first before the Cuckoo arrived, 

 the second when she had others from which to choose. This was the 

 only pair not victimized by the Cuckoo and but for their early disap- 

 pearance would doubtless not have escaped her attentions. 



No. 3 Pair. — Also had only two nests, the first before the Cuckoo 

 appeared on the scene. The second received her 7th egg. After that 

 event, the female Pipit disappeared, probably being taken by a Kestrel 

 [Falco tinnunculus) which was subsequently found to have young not 

 far away. 



No. 4 Pair. — Had three nests before the female also disappeared 

 early in June. The second and third nests received respectively the 

 1st and 8th eggs of the Cuckoo. 



No. 5 Pair. — Had five nests. The Cuckoo deposited her 5th, 13th, 

 17th and 2 1st eggs in the last four. 



No. 6 Pair. — Also had five nests. The first four secured the 3rd, 

 loth, 14th and 20th eggs of the Cuckoo, and on the fifth attempt the 

 Meadow-Pipits hatched and reared their own young after the departure 

 of the Cuckoo. 



No. 7 Pair. — Had only two nests, the second being used by the 

 Cuckoo for her gth egg. This pair then vanished, presumably falling 

 victims to the Kestrel. 



No. 8 Pair. — Built four nests, and the Cuckoo selected the second 

 and third for her i6th and 19th eggs, and at the fourth attempt the 

 Meadow-Pipits safely reared their own young after the Cuckoo had 

 departed. 



No. 9 Pair. — Had three nests, the last two receiving the 4th and 

 nth eggs of the Cuckoo. This pair then apparently met with disaster 

 at the claws of the Kestrel. 



Altogether these nine pairs of Pipits built thirty nests. 

 Of these, I removed the eggs from six before the Cuckoo 

 arrived, and two had broods after she had left. Each pair, 

 of course, occupied its own territory. Once the respective 

 " spheres of influence " were definitely ascertained, it became 

 possible to keep in touch with the doings oi all the pairs and, 

 when necessary, to re-start nests against the future needs of 

 the Cuckoo. By " re-start " I mean removing the eggs from 

 the nest, thus causing the birds to build and lay again. 



The twenty-one eggs of the Cuckoo were laid on the following 

 dates : May 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 

 29th, 31st, June 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, loth, 12th, i6th, 18th, 

 20th, 22nd and 27th. The evidence for the first four of 

 these having been laid on the dates given is circumstantial, 

 but I am convinced that they are the correct ones. It is 

 advisable, so far as the exigencies of space permit, to deal 

 with the deposition of each of these eggs for there are points 



